Fire-extinguishing device.



No. 821,988. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. O. HAMMERSTEIN.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVIGE.

APPLIGATIDN FILED JAN.11, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WIT ESSES; INVENTOR M m No. 821,938. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. O. HAMMERSTBIN.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE;

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11. 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 1 Q INVENTOR BY fla -W W A; ATTORNEYS ANDREW. av GRAHAM co. PHOW-UYNDGRAPNERS. WASNINGYON. v.3:

OSCARHAMMERSTEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'ratented'May 29, 1906.

Application filed January 11, 1904. Serial No. 188,453.

To alt whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Extinguishing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire-extinguishing devices, and especially to such as are intended for use in buildingsfor instance, theaters.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated class which will be very efficient, which can be controlled instantly from a readily-accessible point, and which will not depend for its working upon the running of any motor or other machinery glable to fail or to be abandoned in case of a The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved fire-extinguishing device with parts in section. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, and Fig. 3 is partly a front elevation of the stage and partly a sectional elevation.

At suitable points at the upper portion of the building-for instance, upon the roof-I provide one or more tanks A, and preferably separate tanks are provided for each side of the building. In the example shown there are two tanks at each side. From each of the tanks a wide outlet-pipe B extends at the bottom, and preferably these outlet-pipes connect the tanks on the same side of the building with each other. From a central point of this outlet or connecting ipe B a branch pipe C leads to a head D, it eing understood that there is such a head at each side of the building. The two heads D are connected by a series of perforated pipes E, preferably parallel. Each branch pipe 0 contains a controlling-valve F, from which any suitable operating mechanism extends to a point in proximity to the stage-floor, so that attendants stationed at these points may upon an instants notice open the valves F. The operating mechanism may consist of a crank-arm F, connected with the valve-plug rigidly and having a loose connection with an actuating-rod G, movable up and down in guides G It will be understood that when the valves F are opened water from the tanks A will pass through the branch pipes C to the heads D and will issue in the form of jets from the perforated pipes E. The perforations may be directed downwardly, so that the jets will be parallel, or the perforations may be slightly oblique, so as to cause the jets to cross each other. Instead of perforating the pipes E, I may make them with narrow slits. It will be understood that the pipes E, perforated or otherwise apertured, are located at a suitable height above the scenery M, especially scenery suspended from the gridiron N, known as the rigging-loft, so that these pipes will be practically lnvisible to the audience and yet efficiently disposed to thoroughly sprinkle 'and'inundate the whole stage (particularly scenery) in case of an emergency. I may also combine the rigging-loft and the pipes E into one structurethat is, I may employ the pipes E as a rigging-loft, thus dispensing with the separate floor or gridiron N of Figs. 1 and 3.

The tanks A are filled in any suitable manner, and I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate any particular mechanism for this purpose. It is obvious that the efficiency of the device will depend on the amount of water stored in the tanks, and it therefore is eminently desirable that the condition of the tanks should be readily a'scertainable at any time. As the tanks are located in a rather inaccessible place, gage-glasses or like appliances would not be convenient, and I prefer to provide an indicating device at about the same level as the operating device, so that the attendant (fireman) may readily ascertain how much water the tanks contain without leaving his post. The indicating device shown consists of a float H, the stem of which H, has uided movement in the top of the tank and is connected with a wire or rod I, guided over pulleys J and connected with a movable member or pointer K, arranged to indicate on a stationary scale L. Inasmuch as each pipe B in the construction shown connects two of the tanks A, it will be clear that only one indicating device will be required for the two connected tanks.

It will be understood that while I have described the arrangement of tanks at the sides of the building with the apertured pipes running crosswise of the sta e, different arrangements. may be employe if desired. I prefer to provide two heads D, each connected with a water-supply and with the apertured sure would fall considerably toward the unconnected ends of said pipes. However,

with small stages it might be feasible and practicable to dispense with the water-supply at one end, in which case one of the heads D might be dispensed with or at least be without any connection to a water-supply device.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A fire-extinguishing device comprising heads, apertured pipes connecting said heads, a plurality of tanks for each head, pipes connecting the tanks belonging to each head, a branch pipe extending from each connectingpipe to the corresponding head, a valve in said branch pipe, an actuating device for said valve, and a device for indicatin the amount of water in said tanks, said in icating device bein located at about the same level as the han le of the actuating device.

2. A fire-extinguishing device comprising heads, apertured pipes connecting said heads, a plurality of tanks for each head, pipes connecting the tanks belonging to each head, a branch pipe extending from each connectingpipe to the corresponding head, a valve in said branch pipe, and an actuating device for said valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN LoTKA, EUGENE EBLE. 

